Growing Strong
When the Arboretum was created in 1948, the Foundation established eight objectives for the new institution to be:
- A horticultural center for Southern California fostering more extensive and intelligent use of ornamental plants and trees to enhance the region’s gardens, parks and parkways.
- A center for plant introduction, testing and improvement of plants adaptable to Southern California.
- A gardening school for training gardeners, garden superintendents, propagators and other skilled personnel required by wholesale and retail nurseries and private gardens with a portion of the curriculum of interest to amateurs.
- A center for research and scientific study working in collaboration with educational institutions and federal, state and county departments of agriculture. An information center about plants cultivated in Southern California.
- A horticultural library and herbarium.
- A publication center for bulletins, books and pamphlets of horticultural, botanical and historical interest.
- A preserve of early California buildings and authentic historical gardens.
- A bird sanctuary.
Starting in 1957 and continuing through to the present, The Arboretum has been responsible for the introduction of plants from around the world to Southern California. Many of these plants are now indispensable elements in our Southern California gardens. Click here for a list.
Plant Shows & Sales
For gardeners both amateur and professionals in search of new, favorite and hard-to-find plants the Arboretum was a go-to place for yearly plant shows, auctions, sales and plant society meetings. Annual rites of plant discoveries have, and still, include roses, ferns, cacti, succulents, orchids, plumeria, mushrooms and more.
Aquatics Garden, Celebration Garden, Crescent, Garden for All Seasons, Grace V. Kallam Perennial Garden, Herb Garden, Rainbow Serpent Garden, Meadowbrook, Rose, Tropical Greenhouse, Rose, Water Conservation, Garden of Quiet Reflection.
Aloe, Engelmann oak grove, magnolias, plumeria grove
Africa, Australia, Canary Islands, Madagascar
